Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland proposes new independence referendum in 2023

AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

Nicola Sturgeon, first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party has proposed another date for a referendum on the independence of Scotland, to be held on October 19, 2023.

In order for the process to work, Nicola Sturgeon has written a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ask for “formal consent” for the referendum to go ahead.

Boris Johnson has commented on Nicola Sturgeon’s formal consent letter, saying:

"We'll study it very carefully and respond properly. I think the focus of the country should be on building a stronger economy. That's what we're doing. I certainly think that we'll have a stronger economy and a stronger country together."

Scotland voted on the matter once before back in 2014 to determine whether Scotland should be an independent country. In the 2014 referendum, 1,617,989 (44.7%) people voted yes in favour of independence and 2,001,926 (55.3%) voted no, to stay within the United Kingdom.

Nicola Sturgeon said in a statement: 

“My determination is to secure a process that allows the people of Scotland, whether yes, no or yet to be decided, to express their views in a legal, constitutional referendum so the majority view can be established fairly and democratically. The steps I am setting out today seek to achieve that. If it does transpire that there is no lawful way for this parliament to give the people of Scotland the choice of independence in a referendum, and if the UK government continues to deny a section 30 order, my party will fight the UK general election on this single question: should Scotland be an independent country?"